In 1953, the first issue of Playboy would be created and distributed. Focusing on nude photographs of women, the magazine viewed sex as a recreational activity. Playboy would go on to become incredibly popular, with many supporters and critics on both sides. Out of the first issue, one of the most iconic photograph sets were those of Marilyn Monroe’s nude images.
As the culture of America changed to become more sex-positive, and to drop the more rigid views on abstinence. On the other hand, the image of women was still very much influenced by the male gaze, and this in turn, combined with the societal norms expected of women, created an ‘ideal’ look aimed at women in the 50’s. By looking at Willem de Kooning’s piece, one can see the influence of this culture greatly.
Woman, I is posed as if on a magazine cover, though her hulking form and frightening face is meant to be a critique on the new culture of the time. Her smile resembles those of the women in advertisements of the 50s, and in truth de Kooning combines archetypical elements of pinup girls, paleolithic fertility goddesses and more. This piece celebrates the grotesque nature of humanity, rather than presenting an idealized object of a woman for the viewer.\

https://blog.singulart.com/en/2019/12/11/action-painting-and-willem-de-k...